::: Tribute to My Loving Mother – The Exit of a Fearless Yet Caring One.
The memory is still fresh witnessing your last breath. I was told that you repeatedly asked after me and waited for me to arrive before you transition to God’s glory and it’s such a blessing to have witnessed that moment; your last breath on the 13th May 2023. I made a promise to you and by God’s grace you would be proud of the name the good name you left behind. It’s very hard to use or write the prefix adjective ‘LATE’ beside the name of a vibrant, high-spirited, loving mother whose smile and exuberant spirit lights up the room and gives hope. A mother with a large heart who sees everyone as her biological child.
The sorrow of losing any parents, especially a kindhearted and caring mother, is to the extreme and an emotionally severe one. Susan Wiggs recounts in one of her poems, “There is something about your mother that is permanent and inexpressible – a wound that will never quite heal.” My mother, a loving and wonderful mother, an epitome of motherhood in its climax, was one of the most reliable, resourceful, responsibleand dependable being in my life. She died exactly 2 days to her birthday. I had planned the first-ever surprise birthday for both of them; my dad and herself since they shared birthdates but she left before the actualisation of that surprise.
Even though Mma Sabbath is gone, her enduring legacy of uprightness, love-to-all, child literacy advocacy, peace, mutual understanding, motherly care, affection and an all-embracing fellowship still continue to oil the relief of the pains in our hearts. Those great virtues which Mma Sabbath demonstrated when she was around lingers on. After all, to live in the hearts of those you love is not to die.
She was fondly called Mma Sabbath because of the firmness of her faith in the fundamental believes of the Seventh-day Adventist church as enshrined in the Holy Bible, Exodus 20:8. Her fidelity to the true gospel of Jesus Christ, has become a transitional legacy which has inspired a whole generation of young men and women many of whom are her 8 children, grandchildren, great grand children who are still in Christ, and in the Adventist faith and will by His grace, be, until we meet her again at the resurrection morning, Amen.
Mma-Mma, the laughter and jokes we share are long gone and things are still not the same without you. Your death left a deep void in our hearts. But the memory of your tenderness and loving ways still get me especially through my lonely days. Though time flies very fast but your memory can never be forgotten or erased from our hearts. I promise to uphold the admirable legacy you left behind. Your memory lives on. I love you more than words could express.
I have a lot of work to do to make you proud and all your prayers will guide me through in Jesus name amen. I believe I will see you again. Rest on Eti Eka
Your son, Godwin Akpan
(Papscollo! as you fondly tease me)
#DAF #GodwinAkpan #TributeToMyMother #MmaSabbath #MrsDorathyAkpan :::
